Precious gemstones, such as diamonds, rubies, emeralds, and sapphires, are traded on the wholesale market based on single values for each of the four “C”s that is carat, cut, color, and clarity. On the retail market, consumers are advised to use the four “C”s to pick a gemstone they desire, and the actual market value for each gemstone may be determined by more detailed information within each “C”. While carat weight and cut angles are mathematically defined, the quality of cut may be subjective when selecting a gemstone.
Currently, Gemological Institute of America (GIA) and Diamond High Council of Belgian (HRD), two non-profit gemological associations, grade gemstones and provide a certificate based on the grading. However, the certificate is often inaccurate because measurements that influence cut, such as a pavilion angle and a crown angle of the gemstone, may not be included and only a subjective ranking of the quality of the cut may be provided. Furthermore, a trained eye and/or laboratory instruments that demand skilled operators may be required to judge the quality of the cut, and currently there is no standard for grading optical properties, such as brilliance, of a gemstone based on the judged quality of cut.
Accordingly, accessible and user-friendly methods and/or apparatuses allowing implementation of methods to grade gemstones could use improvements and alternative or additional solutions in order to provide a standard for grading gemstones that does not require an expertly trained eye or expensive laboratory equipment demanding skilled operators.